Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission
by Psychodahlia
Summary: Based on an Elfquest RPG Holt, the heartwarming story of a kit and his pet treewee. It's cute. Link at the bottom directs to forum of the Holt, feel free to stop by.


Five year old Tanfall leaned across the flat rock formation that served as a makeshift table in his mother's den and sniffed at the treewee. He'd discovered it lying in the wet sand a little ways from the den and had brought it back with him. When sniffing revealed no revelation about the treewee's condition, he poked it. It's matted fur shifted a bit as it breathed.

A little ways over, the pile of furs his mother was buried under stirred, a clear indication Stillmoon was waking up. Tanfall quickly picked up the treewee and carried it over to the storage area. It was a hollowed out rock where they kept old sleep-furs and such. He covered the treewee up and was innocently playing with his wooden hop-pouch when Stillmoon roused herself.

"Kitling? How long have you been up?" She rubbed her bleary silver eyes and yawned.

"Not long." He answered. It was true, he hadn't been up long. He gone outside the den soon after waking up and had brought back the treewee not long after that. The fact that he left the den at all was something his mother didn't have to know.

"Mmhmm." She nodded and climbed out of the furs. Throwing on her clothes and stretching a bit she looked towards the den entryway. "C'mon. Let's go wake ourselves up with a swim." She smiled.

Swimming was good. Swimming was fun and so was splashing around. Tanfall was just about to agree when he remembered the treewee. "I don't wanna."

Stillmoon paused. "Why not? Are you sick?" She put the back of her hand against his forehead and frowned.

He shook her off. "I'm fine. I just don't wanna go."

Stillmoon looked at him carefully. "You sure?"

"Yes!"

She nodded. "Alright, but don't leave the den."

"Uh-huh." He smiled and nodded. Why would he want to leave the den when he could play with the treewee?

"I mean it Tanfall. Stay inside." She gave him a look that let him know she meant it and left.

The minute she was out of the sight Tanfall scrambled back to the storage area and uncovered the treewee. Lifting it up he took the time to really check it out. The dark blonde fur was still wet and matted and the drooping ears were flat against the back of its head. It smelled like sea salt, which Tanfall decided would be a good name for it.

Suddenly, the thing's large, brown eyes opened and it started kicking its hind legs. In surprise, Tanfall dropped it and it scampered a few feet away from him. For a moment treewee and elf eyed each other.

"Hi Sea-salt." Tanfall got down on all fours and crawled toward his new pet. "C'mere. C'mere." He reached out his arm and beckoned at it. When the treewee didn't come to him he crawled closer and tried to pick it up. It scratched his arm. "Ow! Bad Sea-salt!" He shouted.

Sea-salt eyed him up and down before darting back over to the storage area. Besides old sleep-furs there were sealed jars of berries and spices. The treewee picked up one such jar and sniffed at it. It's small, gray-pink tongue flicked out along the sides and it smashed it against the rock, spilled the red berries all over the floor of the den.

"No!" Tanfall shouted, running to the treewee before it could break a second jar. "Sea-salt if you don't behave I'll….I'll make you sit facing the den wall!" He threatened. Sitting facing the den wall was the most boring thing in the whole world. All you could do was sit there and stare at the dark gray wall and wonder when you'd be allowed to get up. And before that you had to sit through Mother telling you why you were being made to sit and stare at the wall. It was the worst thing Tanfall could think of.

Apparently the treewee was not impressed with this threat because it made kind of a 'Keehkeehkeeh' noise and reached for another jar. Tanfall snatched it out of his hands, put it back, and tried once again to pick up the treewee. This time it bit him.

"Owwww!" He dropped Sea-salt again and checked his hand. It wasn't bleeding, but it was red and stinging. He glowered at Sea-salt. "That was mean!"

The treewee's ears twitched and it ran out of the den. Tanfall's eyes widened and he ran after it, his promise to his mother forgotten.

Sea-salt raced into the jungle and it was all Tanfall could do to keep it in sight. He stumbled a few times, tore his pant leg on a tree root, and scratched himself on a thorn plant. It was only when he slipped and fell in the mud did he lose track of Sea-salt and notice he was lost.

Uh-oh.

There a lot of weird noises in the jungle, most of them insect sounds, but a few were unidentifiable and therefore all the more eerie. Tanfall stifled a sob. He was lost, muddy, and his right hand and arm hurt.

It was purely by accident that he ran into the hunting party. Eveningstar was the lead tracker and somehow, they stumbled into one another. She stared at him for a moment, before she found her voice. "By the Great Sea Arch, what are you doing out here?"

Tanfall sniffled. "Chasing Sea-salt."

Her blue eyes blinked and for a split second she looked almost amused. "Right." She took a firm grip of his hand and turned around. My Chief? I've found something you might want to see.

I'll be right there. And he was. And his reaction was very similar to Eveningstar's. Squatting down until he was eye-level with the kit he asked: "Tanfall, do you want to tell me what you're doing out here?"

Tanfall shook his head and clutched Eveningstar's hand. Century was bigger than he was and while he didn't yell very often…

Century just nodded. "You can tell your mother then when we get back."

"No!" Tanfall yelled. Century turned around and looked like he expected an answer. "Will you tell Mother if I tell you?"

"I have to. She deserves to know what her kit is doing."

"But she'll be mad!"

"Little late to be worried about that."

Tanfall's lower lip quivered and he sniffled a few times. Mother was gonna know. And she'd get mad and disappointed.

Eveningstar spoke up. "My Chief, perhaps now is not the best time or place for this." She reached down and lifted up Tanfall's right arm and ran her thumb along the red scratch marks.

Century nodded. "Can you take care of it?"

"Easily. We won't have to bother Crest." She assured him.

"Take him back then. Send ahead that you're coming. I'm sure Stillmoon's ready to have her son back." He gave Tanfall a stern look. "I'll be there soon and we will talk about this."

Stillmoon was waiting at Eveningstar's den and with her was Redleaf, the tribe's no-nonsense tanner.

Stillmoon enveloped her child in an embrace so tight he almost couldn't breath. "What were you thinking? Where were you? Why're you all muddy? I was terrified. What happened to the berries? What happened to your arm?"

Tanfall hugged her back and snuggled against her shoulder. She was gonna be mad in a few minutes. Really mad. The thought was enough to make him cry. He'd lost his pet and his mother was gonna be mad. It was a lousy day and he hadn't even eaten yet.

"I told you he was alive." Redleaf flatly stated. The tanner crossed his arms and scowled. "You tore your pants. I just made those and you tore them! I demand an explanation!"

Eveningstar gently tapped Stillmoon's shoulder. "Let's go into my den. I have some salve there for the scratch marks and the bite."

Stillmoon nodded and all three followed Eveningstar into her den. Redleaf leaned against the wall and Tanfall sat on his mother's lap. Eveningstar rubbed some green up and down his arm and hand. It was greasy and stank but the stinging did ease.

By the time the medicine was applied the hunting party had come back and Century entered the den. "You want to tell me what's going on now?" He asked.

Tanfall shook his head and snuggled against his mother. Century sighed.

"Tanfall…" Stillmoon's voice had that warning quality she used whenever she was about to get mad. "Kitling, whatever happened you can tell us."

"Promise you won't get mad?"

Redleaf snorted. "Oh, I'm really looking forward to this."

Chief Century rubbed his forehead. "Tanfall, what were you doing in the middle of the jungle?"

"Chasin' Sea-salt." He mumbled.

"What is Sea-salt?"

It all came out then. The whole story from the time he left the den without permission to the time he slipped in the mud. By the time he was done Redleaf was doubled over and holding his sides from laughing so hard.

"Tanfall, you know better than to leave the den without asking me first." Stillmoon scolded. "Why didn't you ask me?"

"You were asleep." Redleaf could no longer stand up from laughing so hard and Stillmoon blushed a little. "And I thought you'd say no."

"You can't just do whatever you want without asking somebody, just because you think someone will say no." Century's voice was raised. "And you certainly know better than to go into the jungle alone."

"Had to get Sea-salt."

"He was a treewee, Kitling." Eveningstar said softly. "He belongs in the trees, not in a cave. That's why he bit you, he was unhappy."

Tanfall whimpered. Redleaf was still laughing at him and Mother looked disappointed.

Century sighed. "Stillmoon, he's your son and it's your right to punish him. But I have a suggestion." He looked over at Redleaf. "I think he could benefit from learning something useful. Something like tanning."

Redleaf stopped laughing and his head snapped up. "Eh?"

Eveningstar giggled and Stillmoon looked thoughtful. "You know, that's a good idea."

"Oh, c'mon! You cannot be serious…Century, you must be joking. Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not joking."

"I don't wanna learn how to tan." Tanfall spoke up.

"See? He doesn't even wanna learn. It'd be a waste of time."

Eveningstar interrupted Redleaf's rant. "I'm sure your mother didn't want to spend all morning worrying about you either. The whole point of being punished is so you don't enjoy it."

"Right. Stillmoon, is this alright by you?"

"It's fine, my Chief." She glared at Tanfall. "But not today. Today you're going to be picking up every single berry that thing spilled and facing the den wall."

Tanfall nodded mutely. It was gonna be a long day.

Redleaf hid his face in his hands and sent so only Century could hear. You know I don't like children.

You've been complaining that you wanted someone to help you tan leather.

You're mean!

I'm chief.

Redleaf grumbled and stalked out of the den. A little while later Century left, followed by Stillmoon and Tanfall.

It was a long day. Long and boring. Tanfall had tried to make the chore of picking up the berries take as long as possible, but Mother had eventually caught on and he had spent the majority of the day staring at the dull, gray wall of the den. She let him up to eat and wash off the mud.

"Tanfall? It's time to sleep." Her voice still held the same softness it always did when she called him to sleep. He eagerly got up and ran over to snuggle next to her between the furs. He lay down and let her rub his back, which was a little stiff from sitting in the same place for most of the day. "You got yourself in a lot of trouble today, didn't you?"

He squirmed a little and peeked up at her between the messy tan hair that fell in his eyes. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Not anymore. I was angry that you disobeyed me. I was angry that you hid something from me and broke your promise. I was angry that you refused to answer our chief and went into the jungle alone." She paused. "But you are being punished for that and I still love you."

Tanfall crawled closer to her and snuggled. "Love you too."

Finite.

Author's notes: Now I have diabetes after that ending. A 'hop-pouch' is a kangaroo. They're weird critters and I figure Tanfall would have been the kind of kid who would want a toy based on them.

Stillmoon must have had the patience of a Saint.

Redleaf may show up again. He's such a jerk and it was so much fun to write him.

This was written for the Elfquest RPG forum at:  need more members so feel free to visit and see if you wanna play.


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